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COVID-19

UPDATE

Dwayne Blaylock, CEO of Merit Health River

Oaks, and Heather Sistrunk, CEO of Merit

Health Rankin and Merit Health Woman’s,

recently spoke with Hometown Magazine to

give an update on COVID-19 and its impact

on our Rankin County hospitals.

What policies and/or procedures have

your facilities adopted to keep staff and

patients safe?

Heather Sistrunk We are taking extraordinary

measures, going above and beyond our normal efforts

to keep our hospitals clean and safe so that you will

feel confident and know you are protected. We are

screening everyone who comes into the hospitals,

providing facemasks and other personal protective

equipment to staff and patients, and rearranging our

environments to enable social distancing. Also, our

cleaning staff is disinfecting frequently touched

surfaces and doing a terrific job of keeping the

hospitals clean.

Are your ERs safe for the community to visit?

Heather Sistrunk Yes, our ERs are safe. If you have

sudden symptoms that may indicate an emergency

health situation you can and should seek immediate

medical attention. Tragically, people with serious

emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, are

waiting too long for medical care. Getting fast medical

treatment could be the difference between life and

death so please don’t ignore the signs of a health

emergency. Call 911, come to the ER, and get the help

you need.

Is it ok for people to have surgery or an

elective procedure?

Dwayne Blaylock Yes it is safe for anyone to have

surgery or any other procedure that is recommended

by their doctor. Each surgery patient is pre-screened

for COVID-19 several days prior to their appointment

and they are also screened upon their arrival, along

with the person that accompanies them.

If, for whatever reason, a patient’s loved one

is unable to be with the patient for the

duration of the stay, how can the family be

updated on the patient’s progress?

Dwayne Blaylock If a family member or care team

member is unavailable to stay with the patient, we will

accommodate daily phone updates regarding the

status of the patient. We can also make arrangements

to receive personal toiletries and other belongings to

make the patient’s stay as comfortable as possible.

What about the areas in your hospital other

than the ER and the surgery department?

Heather Sistrunk We have implemented the same

COVID safety precautions in our outpatient diagnostic

testing areas as well as the lab, radiology, sleep lab

and all other areas of our hospitals.

Is there a special unit at your hospital for

COVID-19 patients?

Heather Sistrunk We have red, yellow and green

zones within the hospital. A red zone is a COVID zone

in which only appropriate personnel with appropriate

PPE can enter. A yellow zone indicates a COVID test

result is pending for patients in those areas. A green

zone is our COVID safe zone.

What is your visitor policy?

Dwayne Blaylock As the COVID-19 situation

evolves, so does our visitor policy. You can find the

current policy by visiting our website: MyMeritHealth.com.

Does Merit Health offer COVID-19 testing?

Heather Sistrunk We have the ability to test

inpatients at all three of our Rankin County hospitals,

as well as patients who visit either of our two Rankin

County emergency rooms.

What about your clinics? Are they open

and safe?

Dwayne Blaylock Our clinics are taking the same

safety precautions as our hospitals. They are open,

safe, and ready to see you if you are experiencing any

symptoms of illness. In addition, many of our doctors

offer telehealth visits for those who prefer not to come

into the office.

What is a telehealth visit?

Dwayne Blaylock Telehealth is a video call or

phone call appointment. In some instances this works

well for the patient but in most situations, the provider

needs to see the patient in person. All of our providers

are happy to speak with their patients to determine

which type of visit is best for them.

Hometown RANKIN • 101

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